No Repository?

[jonnyc]

For more than a week now I've had a red X where the update notification usually is at the foot of the page.
Does this mean that the software server is Non-op, or is there something wrong with my M/C?

JC

 

[atanere]

Well, you say "update notification"... but you don't say what distro you're using. Google shows this more commonly for a Windows problem, or an Ubuntu sound problem. I think we need more information. What happens when you left-click on the icon? How about if you right-click on it?

And sorry if I'm being dense (I've had a few beers)... but what is your "M/C" ?

Cheers!

 

[jonnyc]

Well, you say "update notification"... but you don't say what distro you're using. Google shows this more commonly for a Windows problem, or an Ubuntu sound problem. I think we need more information. What happens when you left-click on the icon? How about if you right-click on it?

And sorry if I'm being dense (I've had a few beers)... but what is your "M/C" ?

Cheers!

Sorry!
Mint 17.2. The icon is normally a sheild with a faded green Tick, or, when updates are available, a blue sheild.
Right now it's white with a red X.
" The package lists or status files could not be parsed" when hovered.

JC

 

[arochester]

Sometimes it is temporary. You could try changing the Mirror in Software Sources, then try again.

 

[jonnyc]

Sometimes it is temporary. You could try changing the Mirror in Software Sources, then try again.

OK, I'll give it a bash ( so to speak)!
At first I thought it was the repository server down, but its been too long now; someone would have noticed. So I'm suspecting my system. Anyway, here goes!

JC

 

[atanere]

Yes, as @arochester said, check the Update Manager for mirrors, and also look at the PPA's that might have quit working.

Have you tried updating from the terminal?

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

I am also using Mint 17.2 and the updates have been working fine for me.

 

[jonnyc]

Yes, as @arochester said, check the Update Manager for mirrors, and also look at the PPA's that might have quit working.

Have you tried updating from the terminal?

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

I am also using Mint 17.2 and the updates have been working fine for me.

Wotsa PPA?

 

[atanere]

PPA = Personal Package Archive. It's another means for Ubuntu/Mint to upgrade packages that are not in the official repositories.

If you click on your red X, you will open the Update Manager. Click the Edit menu and select Software Sources, give it your root password and click OK. The Official Repositories load first, and from there you can click on the Mirrors for the Main Mint and Ubuntu Base to select differernt Mirrors. On the left, just below Official, you find the PPA's that you may be using. Maybe you aren't using any, but I have 4 in there. Under Additional Repositories, I have two listed, but neither is enabled. Then there are Authentication Keys and a Maintenance option. I don't know if any Maintenance options will help.

But while you're on this screen, in the upper right is a button to Update Sources. I'm pretty sure this is the same as the command line "sudo apt-get update" and it would be good to click and see if it reports any errors to you. It may tell you what is failing... a mirror, a PPA, or whatever.

Also, on the Official Repositories screen, I do not have source code or optional components checked. Unless you know you need them, I would uncheck them if you find them checked. There is a button at the bottom of that screen to Restore Defaults... that might help too, but it might break some updates, like PPA's.

Clear as mud?

 

[jonnyc]

PPA = Personal Package Archive. It's another means for Ubuntu/Mint to upgrade packages that are not in the official repositories.

If you click on your red X, you will open the Update Manager. Click the Edit menu and select Software Sources, give it your root password and click OK. The Official Repositories load first, and from there you can click on the Mirrors for the Main Mint and Ubuntu Base to select differernt Mirrors. On the left, just below Official, you find the PPA's that you may be using. Maybe you aren't using any, but I have 4 in there. Under Additional Repositories, I have two listed, but neither is enabled. Then there are Authentication Keys and a Maintenance option. I don't know if any Maintenance options will help.

But while you're on this screen, in the upper right is a button to Update Sources. I'm pretty sure this is the same as the command line "sudo apt-get update" and it would be good to click and see if it reports any errors to you. It may tell you what is failing... a mirror, a PPA, or whatever.

Also, on the Official Repositories screen, I do not have source code or optional components checked. Unless you know you need them, I would uncheck them if you find them checked. There is a button at the bottom of that screen to Restore Defaults... that might help too, but it might break some updates, like PPA's.

Clear as mud?

Very helpful, but I got there first just by nosing around! In the Maintenance I found a reference to "mergelists" or somesuch which I remembered as being one of the errors,
so I clicked on that and then changed the mirrors to a couple of faster ones in Germany,
and Whoopee! all is now well (after a bit of downloading via this poxy web connection.
About 0.6Mb/s. Almost like the good old dial-up days!).
And I think (IIRC), that the "mergelists" solution cured the problem even without changing the mirrors so the problem was in this M/C as I thought. Trouble is I have no idea how it got
that way, and the cure was just luck. Still, the harder I work at it the luckier I get!

JC

 

[atanere]

Great, glad to hear you found the solution!

And even though I'm beer-free tonight (but not for long)... I'm still confused what you use "M/C" to mean?

 

[jonnyc]

Great, glad to hear you found the solution!

And even though I'm beer-free tonight (but not for long)... I'm still confused what you use "M/C" to mean?

Sorry! Tech slang for "machine", i.e. computer.

JC

 

[atanere]

Ah, okay. Thanks. That's one I've never heard before.

Cheers!